I don't really understand my own research project... Help!

[SamSt1]

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Hello Wonderful SDN-ers!

I would like some constructive advice (no rude or condescending comments please) for my research dilemma!

I am doing a project researching oct - 4, sox - 2 and other POU transcription factors. The problem is: I do not understand my research project. The graduate student I work with is Russian and she is very hard to understand, and she is very involved in her own work. She is actually pretty mean, and when I ask for clarification she usually ignores me. She has been steering my project, giving me protocols, etc, but she doesn't do much background explaining. And she is busy so, I understand this. But as a result I have been trying to read literature, yet it hasn't helped to teach me much about my project.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, in which your own research seems like a different language? I was involved in Clinical research last year and it was SO clear and easy to understand, but molecular research (what I am doing now) is like a completely different language. Oh and I haven't taken genetics, cell bio or molecular bio. I guess that doesn't help...

Any suggestions on how to understand difficult topics (such as POU transcription factors and OCT -4, etc) better? Or any other general advice?

Thank you! Hope everyone is having a good day 🙂

Sam

 

[Picklesali]

Read this

http://8e.devbio.com/article.php?id=39

Try reading introductions of papers that your lab had published, read reviews as well. If the grad student you are working with isn't very helpful ask someone else in the lab if they have a good text book or references papers that would help you get started.

 

[Picklesali]

Without having taken genetics or mol bio - I can imagine that that topic would be pretty difficult for you...

 

[SamSt1]

Without having taken genetics or mol bio - I can imagine that that topic would be pretty difficult for you...

I know right! this is awful!

 

[SamSt1]

Read this

http://8e.devbio.com/article.php?id=39

Try reading introductions of papers that your lab had published, read reviews as well. If the grad student you are working with isn't very helpful ask someone else in the lab if they have a good text book or references papers that would help you get started.

Thank you so much Pickesali! And i love your user name! haha🙂

 

[foster033]

Journal articles are generally written for scientist, people who already understand this stuff or at least have a basic understanding...you might want to go back a few steps and read some text books or other info about the subject, not necessarily peer reviewed papers, at least not until you have some grasp on what is going on. This is probably especially important since you have no background in the are like a molecular or cell bio class.

When I first started working in the lab our post doc was Russian and I was absolutely terrified of her. But we actually ended up being great friends and she helped me out a lot in the end. The point of this is that your grad student probably doesn't hate you. Russian people just have a way of being very direct which can often be interpreted the wrong way. Give her a chance and a little bit of time and I'm sure things will get better.

 

[SamSt1]

Journal articles are generally written for scientist, people who already understand this stuff or at least have a basic understanding...you might want to go back a few steps and read some text books or other info about the subject, not necessarily peer reviewed papers, at least not until you have some grasp on what is going on. This is probably especially important since you have no background in the are like a molecular or cell bio class.

When I first started working in the lab our post doc was Russian and I was absolutely terrified of her. But we actually ended up being great friends and she helped me out a lot in the end. The point of this is that your grad student probably doesn't hate you. Russian people just have a way of being very direct which can often be interpreted the wrong way. Give her a chance and a little bit of time and I'm sure things will get better.

Thanks so much for the Advice! But about my grad student... She isn't nice. We've been working together for quite some time and she doesn't seem to get along with anyone in the lab. She is a loner, completely. Also the problem I run into is that no one else in our lab is working on a project or subject or topic even relatively similar to ours! Aaack.

Keep the advice coming, this is great! Thank you everyone

 

[stwabewwie]

ooo...stem cells eh? Do you understand self-renewal, differentiation, and reprogramming, pluripotency, etc. Try googling the basics of stem cells first, then read related papers like this one: Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors (takahashi et al.).

Admittedly it's pretty tough if you haven't taken relevant classes first. Good luck!

 

[Nataliemay24]

The problem is: I do not understand my research project.

haha, I love this thread! I never would have thought it as an undergrad, but I think it's probably a very common problem!

My advice is to try to focus on learning how to do the techniques you are doing well. It is very valuable for a possible future job or for future research to know how to do lab techniques, whether you fully understand why you're doing every step or not. For example, I learned how to do PCR, some immunocytochemistry with a certain type of cell, how to take care of cell cultures, western blots (or were they northern blots? I can't even remember now...), etc.

Secondly, understanding what you're doing might be easier if you start with the big picture. Some places to start might be the principle investigator (usually the professor in charge of the whole lab)'s website, where there might be a summary of his/her research. If you are brave you might want to stop by the professor's office hours. Even if you are assigned to a post doc or grad student or whatever, the professor will have some idea about what everyone else in the lab is doing. He/she will probably be okay with taking a few minutes to explain the big picture, and you'll look good, too. Professors tend to be impressed with students who ask questions, look interested, and let them talk.

anyway, it will all get much better after you've taken those classes. and while you're in those classes, you'll probably find that you learned a lot more than you realized during your time in the lab and some things will be easier for you to learn.

 

[SamSt1]

haha, I love this thread! I never would have thought it as an undergrad, but I think it's probably a very common problem!

My advice is to try to focus on learning how to do the techniques you are doing well. It is very valuable for a possible future job or for future research to know how to do lab techniques, whether you fully understand why you're doing every step or not. For example, I learned how to do PCR, some immunocytochemistry with a certain type of cell, how to take care of cell cultures, western blots (or were they northern blots? I can't even remember now...), etc.

Secondly, understanding what you're doing might be easier if you start with the big picture. Some places to start might be the principle investigator (usually the professor in charge of the whole lab)'s website, where there might be a summary of his/her research. If you are brave you might want to stop by the professor's office hours. Even if you are assigned to a post doc or grad student or whatever, the professor will have some idea about what everyone else in the lab is doing. He/she will probably be okay with taking a few minutes to explain the big picture, and you'll look good, too. Professors tend to be impressed with students who ask questions, look interested, and let them talk.

anyway, it will all get much better after you've taken those classes. and while you're in those classes, you'll probably find that you learned a lot more than you realized during your time in the lab and some things will be easier for you to learn.

Hi!!! Thanks for your response. Here is the problem though: I won't be taking those additional courses (I took intro Bio) because I am a double major in Spanish and Art History. I know I am not a science major but my two majors are really difficult and I can't fit in any other coursework other than my pre-reqs, and I took calculus 1 and 2. I am probably going to squeeze biochem in my schedule senior year. I get this is the punishment us "non-science" majors get... it really does hurt in some ways just taking the pre-reqs!

Anyhoo -- I can't learn this information through the classes which is a bummer. Also - the PI is the chief of medicine at our university hospital so needless to say, he is super busy! And... I feel kind of silly coming to him now (after being in lab for some time!).

Thank you so much for your suggestions, I REALLY appreciate your input! Any more ideas? 🙂

Oh... and about his website: He oversees all projects, and in our lab they vary from very, very different molecular projects to clinical ones. Basically, the two people that "know" whats happening with my project, are my grad student, and I. But I don't know what is going on. Ha! yikes.. 🙂

 

[Nataliemay24]

Anyhoo -- I can't learn this information through the classes which is a bummer. Also - the PI is the chief of medicine at our university hospital so needless to say, he is super busy! And... I feel kind of silly coming to him now (after being in lab for some time!).

eh. if he has any teaching responsibilities (like, in a classroom, not just teaching residents and stuff obviously), I still say go to him, even if it's been a long time since you've been there. You sound like you have a good attitude so I don't think he would be annoyed. Send him an email. I really think your best bet would be to find someone in a professor role to explain the big picture to you. They are most likely to 1) be able to explain it, 2) be thrilled to talk about their subject, and 3) be used to having confused students in their office. Try to find a professor associated in some way with the research, maybe? Or maybe, a cell bio (or whatever department is most relevant) professor from your college. Just keep the "I want to do the work to understand this and learn" attitude, and make sure they don't get the feeling you're trying to get someone else to spoon-feed this information to you.

Did you do well in intro biology? I remember going into some detail about transcription, translation, etc. in that class. You mentioned some things that I have absolutely no idea what they are. Proteins, maybe? Some other kind of molecule? Figure out what they are and then read up on that process/molecule/mechanism/whatever in an intro bio textbook.

 

[Picklesali]

Can you tell me what the overall goal or question of your project is? (You can send a PM if you don't want to post it) Then I might be better able to help you.

 

[SamSt1]

eh. if he has any teaching responsibilities (like, in a classroom, not just teaching residents and stuff obviously), I still say go to him, even if it's been a long time since you've been there. You sound like you have a good attitude so I don't think he would be annoyed. Send him an email. I really think your best bet would be to find someone in a professor role to explain the big picture to you. They are most likely to 1) be able to explain it, 2) be thrilled to talk about their subject, and 3) be used to having confused students in their office. Try to find a professor associated in some way with the research, maybe? Or maybe, a cell bio (or whatever department is most relevant) professor from your college. Just keep the "I want to do the work to understand this and learn" attitude, and make sure they don't get the feeling you're trying to get someone else to spoon-feed this information to you.

Did you do well in intro biology? I remember going into some detail about transcription, translation, etc. in that class. You mentioned some things that I have absolutely no idea what they are. Proteins, maybe? Some other kind of molecule? Figure out what they are and then read up on that process/molecule/mechanism/whatever in an intro bio textbook.

Hi! I got an A in both intro bio's but... my project seems to be a little too complex and beyond intro bio. Thank you so much for your suggestions.. I am definitely going to contact the PI to give me the over-arching understanding of my project!

I know this all seems so silly, but I am glad you guys can be so helpful!